Page 78 - CTB-1

78 PIONEERING A NEW FUTURE
National Accreditation Board for
Testing and Calibration Laboratories
Above: NABL Assessor course
1999
Below: International Conference 1999 hosted by NABL
In 1973, the Planning Commission had suggested to the Department of Science and Technology to look into the different aspects of testing facilities in the country related to their affiliation, availability and future growth, and to suggest
ways of optimizing and coordinating these
facilities to evolve a consistent national measurement system. A committee
constituted by DST in its report on
‘National Testing Facilities’ recommended that: (a) A directory of test laboratories should be compiled; (b) A national programme of standardization in testing procedures
and regular calibration of test equipment of
the laboratories should be implemented; and, (c) A system of accreditation/registration of all test facilities should be established.
The National Coordination of Testing and Calibration Facilities (NCTCF) was initiated by
Department of Science and Technology in the 1982 programme under the guidance of the
National Registration and Advisory Council and through a Management Coordination
Committee, Accreditation and Coordination Cell in DST and Calibration Service Cell in National Physical Laboratory (NPL). NCTCF
was designated by the government as the sole agency for testing and calibrate laboratory accreditation for India.
The National Coordination for Testing and Calibration Facilities (NCTCF) programme’s mandate was to establish and continually update
a network of accredited laboratories to develop a hierarchy of calibration laboratories and to evolve a mechanism to monitor them. Special committees were constituted as and when necessary with experts from the government, industry, research laboratories and educational institutions to help
in carrying out particular assignments. Seminars, symposia and workshops were organized to publicise the programme, interact with industry, laboratories, state agencies and to inculcate the importance of
an organized testing and calibration programme to improve quality and reliability of products.
India’s National Metrological Institute (NMI) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL) cooperated with NCTCF by operating the calibration accreditation arm with funding from NCTCF. These programmes used ISO/IEC Guide 25-1978 and, therefore, quality system management was not mandatory. Under
the system, 175 laboratories were accredited. The scheme is voluntary and any organization in India